The maximum operating frequency of a circuit is determined by delay of the critical path of the circuit. The maximum operating frequency is impacted by noise (alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC)) generated by the supply voltage.
Large switching loads are characterized by fast current gradients (surge of current) that leads to a transient drop in supply voltage (also referred to as voltage droop). The conventional method for guaranteeing functional accuracy of a circuit under these conditions uses a frequency guard band, which provides a margin between the maximum allowable frequency at a given operating voltage and the operational frequency at the same voltage to prevent failure during dips in supply voltage.
A fixed conservatively chosen operating frequency provides circuit resiliency to a transient drop in supply voltage at the cost of reduced throughput. Alternately a voltage guard band is added to a given operating voltage to enable operating the circuit at the maximum allowable frequency at the expense of power.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments of the claimed subject matter, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed subject matter be viewed broadly, and be defined as set forth in the accompanying claims.